Chief Murray will not allow

his own officers to have scanners in their police cars. He will also not

put a state-band radio channel in their police cars.

Doing so would allow his officers

to communicate with other agencies, which is often needed at times. His

officers cannot even talk to Fayetteville Police Department via radio

if necessary.

I feel more citizens would

have died if it were not for the officer who notified the on-duty Peachtree

City officers via radio. This officer heard Luthersville P.D. advise Coweta

County Sheriff's Office of the chase on his personal scanner. Then the

off-duty PTC officer used his PTC walkie-talkie to advise his fellow on-duty

officers of the event. If it were not for him, many more people would

have died.

This officer was Corporal Samuel

F. Smith, and I think many of the citizens need to know of his help. He

called in the chase just in time for the Ga. highway 54-74 intersection

to be blocked. Luckily, he was driving through the city on his off-day.

Furthermore, as a dispatcher

for Fayette County, I feel PTC officers are denied something that would

truly help their agency. Chief Murray said, "That's why officers

have radios," but he fails to realize how his officers ascertained

the information.

[That] Saturday night, the

Coweta County dispatch center did not have time to advise the Fayette

County dispatch center of the chase via phone. Last year, when Coweta

County had a pursuit through PTC resulting in a wreck, the PTC officers

did not know it was coming because they did not have scanners in their

cars( or a state-band channel). Chief Murray will not let his officers

use their personal scanners in their police cars.

Yes, Murray has a point about

the chase, but he may have hastily spoken about the use of radios. Even

our Sheriff's Department has scanners and a state-band channel so they

can communicate with other agencies.

I wonder if Gov. Barnes knows

about Murray's lack of support for using a statewide radio channel. After

all, in light of terroristic events, Gov. Barnes has advocated said radio

channel, so local agencies can better communicate.

Nicole Grizzell

Fayette 911 dispatcher